Grime All Star Stormzy Returns on Massive “Big for Your Boots”

When you consider what grime heavyweight Stormzy accomplished before his recent nine-month hiatus—a plethora of crossover singles (“Scary”, “Standard”), domestic chart toppers (“Shut Up”, “WickedSkengMan 4”), a world tour—it’s clear this break was well deserved. When he did return, last month, it was at first cryptically, through a series of mysterious billboards that teased his debut album, Gang Signs & Prayer. The album’s formal announcement included opulent Last Supper-inspired artwork and a searing lead single that laid waste to the haters.

“Big for Your Boots” was co-produced by grime’s answer to Timbaland, Sir Spyro, as well as Adele and Sam Smith collaborator Fraser T Smith. The addition of Smith adds a slight pop sheen to Spyro’s typically trunk rattling productions, giving it an overall smoother feel while staying true to grime’s garage and jungle core. It’s an excellent return to form for Stormzy, too, whose tightly coiled flow laps up the orchestral, cartoonish soundscape with his stand-off rhymes aimed at his competition: “You’re getting way too big for your boots,” he spits. Be warned, though: “You’re never too big” for Stormzy’s boot.

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